Podiatrist Recommended
Men's Hiking Boots
Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX
This is an excellent men's hiking shoe and, if you are a woman who can't find a comfortable hiking shoe, go to REI and try on this men's boot. This is the boot that my husband (aka Mister 15,000 steps per day!) is currently wearing and it has resolved some foot issues that he was developing while wearing his old hiking boots, which were wearing out and getting too flexible (and therefore causing foot pain).
For a shoe to be good enough for your feet (and be comfortable), they must meet 4 criteria:
1. They must have a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole that allows no motion through painful joints. It's counterintuitive, but a rigid and non-flexible sole is the most important feature of a shoe. 90% of all shoes out there are complete garbage because their soles are too flexible and flimsy. Soles that allow motion through painful joints cause more pain and joint damage.
2. A wide toe box, so there is no pressure on the toes and toenails, which can cause bunions, hammertoes, corns, Morton's Neuromas, Tailor's bunions, and fungal toenails.
3. Rearfoot control, which means that you have to at least have a strap around the back of the shoe (no flip-flops or mules). Rearfoot control allows for more biomechanical control of the foot and ankle structures, which means less inflammation, swelling and pain.
4. Arch support, which you can do with a custom-molded orthotic or at least an excellent over-the-counter insert for better arch support.
If your foot hurts, you might want to consider going to the store and trying on this boot because it's sort of like wearing a mini-CAM-walker, which is what is used to treat broken bones in the feet.
This boot is recommended for patients with:
*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)
*Hallux Rigidus (no motion through the 1st toe joint)
*Hallux Limitus (limited motion through 1st toe joint)
*Functional Hallux Limitus
*history of Lisfranc's Joint Injuries
*Morton's Neuroma (make sure that the toe box is wide and causes no pressure on the forefoot area)
*Metatarsalgia
*Capsulitis
*Mild to Moderate Bunions
*Hammertoes
*Tailor's Bunions
*Plantar Plate Injuries
*Osteoarthritis
*Degenerative Joint Disease
*Mild Achilles Tendonitis
*Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
*Peroneal Tendonitis
*Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome (wear orthotics)
*Sinus Tarsi Syndrome
This boot is not recommended for patients with:
*History of Diabetic Ulcerations
*Charcot Foot
*Charcot Marie Tooth Disease
*Muscle Weakness
*Foot Drop
Check with your podiatrist if you have these conditions:
*Diabetes
*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)
*Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)
For more information, please check out these articles:
Shoe recommendation for patients recovering from Lisfranc's Injuries.
My feet hurt! Top 10 things to do to alleviate foot pain today.
I hope this was helpful!
Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy
:)
